Published: January 12, 2025 • 14 min read
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्॥
yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
"Whenever and wherever there is a decline of dharma (righteousness) and a rise of adharma (unrighteousness), O Bharata (Arjuna), at that time I manifest Myself."
This verse, beginning with the famous phrase "yadā yadā hi dharmasya," is among the most quoted in all of Hindu scripture. It establishes the theological foundation for divine incarnation (avatāra) and reveals Krishna's cosmic role as the protector of dharma.
The verse appears in Chapter 4, the "Yoga of Knowledge" (Jnana Yoga), where Krishna explains the nature of divine action and his transcendental birth and activities.
The repetition "yadā yadā" (whenever, whenever) is significant—it's not a one-time event but a recurring cosmic pattern. Every time dharma declines, the Divine responds.
This verse doesn't stand alone. It's part of a sequence where Krishna reveals the transcendental nature of his birth and activities:
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन॥
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."
Krishna also explains the purpose of his incarnation in the following verse:
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे॥
"To deliver the pious and annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principles of dharma, I advent Myself millennium after millennium."
Together, verses 4.7 and 4.8 provide a complete picture: When dharma declines (4.7), God incarnates to protect the righteous, destroy evil, and restore dharma (4.8).
Dharma is one of Sanskrit's most untranslatable words. It encompasses:
When dharma declines, it means: moral principles weaken, cosmic balance is disturbed, people abandon their duties, and unrighteousness prevails.
The verse reveals several purposes:
This verse offers profound reassurance: the universe is not abandoned. When darkness seems to overwhelm, when evil appears triumphant, when hope fades—the Divine responds. This is not a one-time historical event but an eternal principle. The universe has a self-correcting mechanism: God Himself intervenes when needed.
The verb "sṛjāmi" (I create/manifest) raises philosophical questions. If God is eternal and unchanging, how can He be "created"?
Commentators explain that this "creation" is not like ordinary birth. God is not produced or brought into existence. Rather, He voluntarily manifests a form perceivable by beings in the material world. His eternal, transcendent nature remains unchanged even as He appears in time and space.
Krishna's body is not made of matter (prakriti) but is a spiritual form (divya). His birth and death are appearances, not realities. He doesn't undergo the karmic process that binds ordinary souls.
Ramanuja stresses the reality of the Lord's form and activities. Krishna's body is made of pure sattva (goodness), not material elements. His incarnation is an act of supreme grace (kripa) allowing devotees to worship God in accessible form. The incarnation is real, not illusory, but transcendental.
Madhva emphasizes that the Lord incarnates by His own will, never by karmic compulsion. Each incarnation has specific purposes suited to the age. The Lord's forms are eternal—He doesn't "become" something new but reveals what always is. His activities are real and performed for the benefit of devotees.
Prabhupada explains that the Lord appears in every yuga (age) in various forms. His incarnation in the Kali-yuga (current age) is primarily as the holy name (nama-avatara). Understanding the transcendental nature of Krishna's appearance liberates one from rebirth. The incarnation demonstrates that God is not impersonal but has form, activities, and relationships.
Verse 4.7 establishes the theological foundation for the Hindu doctrine of avatara (divine descent). Key principles include:
Traditional lists enumerate ten principal avatars of Vishnu:
Each avatar addresses specific imbalances in the cosmic order, demonstrating that the Divine responds to the particular needs of each age.
The avatar concept differs from prophets in Abrahamic traditions. A prophet is a human chosen by God to deliver a message. An avatar is God Himself taking form. The avatar doesn't merely speak for God—the avatar is God manifesting in perceivable form.
When we witness moral decline—corruption, violence, injustice—this verse offers hope. The universe is not indifferent. When dharma reaches critical decline, divine intervention comes. History is not random; it's guided.
While God incarnates to restore dharma, we are called to be instruments of that restoration. Krishna's war against adharma required Arjuna's participation. Divine grace works through human effort.
If God incarnates "whenever" dharma declines, how do we recognize divine presence in our age? Some traditions emphasize:
On a personal level, when dharma declines in our own lives—when we lose our way, abandon our principles, fall into confusion—we can call on the Divine to manifest and restore order. The cosmic pattern reflects in the individual.
"When dharma declines in my own heart, when unrighteousness rises in my thoughts and actions, may the Divine manifest within me, restoring order, protecting what is good, and establishing righteousness once again."
If God intervenes when dharma declines, why is there so much suffering in the world?
The Gita doesn't promise a world without suffering but assurance that the universe is not abandoned. Divine intervention may not meet our timing expectations. Also, some decline is necessary before intervention—like a fever that must peak before breaking. Additionally, God works through individuals; human cooperation is part of the restoration process.
Has Krishna incarnated since the Mahabharata era?
Different traditions answer differently. Some believe no full avatar has appeared since Krishna. Others identify various saints or teachers as partial manifestations. Gaudiya Vaishnavism considers Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (15th century) as an avatar. The verse says "yuge yuge" (age after age), suggesting ongoing divine response.
How does this verse relate to other religions' views of God?
The avatar doctrine is distinctive to Hinduism but has some parallels. Christianity's incarnation of Christ shares the concept of God taking human form. However, Christianity sees this as a unique event, while Hinduism sees recurring incarnations. Buddhism and Jainism don't share this theology. Islam explicitly rejects incarnation.
What's the difference between God incarnating and souls reincarnating?
Souls reincarnate due to karma—they're compelled by past actions. God incarnates by free will—there's no karmic compulsion. Souls forget previous lives; the avatar retains full knowledge. Souls are bound by their bodies; the avatar is never limited by form. The avatar's body is spiritual; ordinary bodies are material.
Can humans become avatars?
In strict theological terms, no—avatars are God descending, not souls ascending. However, some traditions speak of "empowered" individuals who carry divine shakti for specific missions. The distinction is crucial: even the most enlightened human is a liberated soul, not God incarnate.
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Adi Shankaracharya (Advaita Vedanta)
Shankara emphasizes that the Lord's birth is through His maya (divine power) and not ordinary birth from karma. The changeless Brahman appears to take birth through its power of illusion, like a magician who seems to undergo transformation while remaining unchanged. The purpose is to establish dharma through teaching, not merely through force.